Israel maybe committing war crimes in Gaza, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says. Speaking in Geneva, Navi Pillay said house demolitions and the killing of children raise the "strong possibility" that Israel is violating international law.

Opening an emergency debate at the UN Human Rights Council in
Geneva, she citied cases of Israeli air strikes and shelling
hitting houses and hospitals in the coastal enclave: "These
are just a few examples where there seems to be a strong
possibility that international humanitarian law has been
violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes,” she
said.

She hit out at both sides concerning their conduct during the
conflict, which is now in its 16th day, having started on July 8.
Some 643 Palestinians, many of them children and civilians have
died in the conflict, including a seven-year-old hit by a shell
in southern Gaza early on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

The Israeli army has been accused of targeting civilian
areas, as well as using flechette shells during its offensive in
Gaza, which can cause widespread harm and death to civilians.
Some 29 Israeli soldiers have been killed, including a tank
officer shot by a Palestinian sniper early on Wednesday.

"Every one of these incidents must be properly and
independently investigated," Pillay said in some of her
strongest comments on the carnage. She also condemned the
indiscriminate firing of rockets and mortars by Palestinian
militants into Israel and expressed concern at the “rise of
incitement for violence against Palestinians by Israeli’s on
social media.”

On Monday, a hospital was hit in Gaza, with four people killed
and scores of others wounded in the attack. Thirty of the wounded
were medics. The International Committee of the Red Cross issued
a statement condemning the shelling "in the strongest
terms," Reuters reported. The organization stated that the
hospital came under fire at least four times, and life-saving
equipment was severely damaged.

A United Nations school, which is helping to shelter displaced
Palestinians in the center of Gaza, also came under attack from
Israeli fire on Tuesday as a team was inspecting damage from
shelling by the Israeli’s on Monday, a UN official said.

The official mentioned that a team, who had been given permission
by Israel to enter, were at the school run by the UN in
Al-Maghazi, when Israeli tanks resumed their shelling and hit the
building.

Speaking at the conference, Israel’s ambassador to the body,
Eviatar Manor told the debate that “Israel will destroy
Hamas’ military infrastructure.” He also added that “the
Gaza residents are not our enemy. Israel is fully committed to
international law.” The ambassador also slammed the UN Human
Rights Council saying they had "failed to protect the human
rights of Israelis,” Haaretz reports.

In response, the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riad al-Malki
urged world powers to end what he called Israel’s impunity,
saying, "Israel must be held accountable for its
crimes." His speech was greeted by loud applause.

Harretz reports that the Palestinians and Arab countries have
filed a draft to the Human Rights Council, which convened for a
special one-day session in Geneva, which includes the
establishment of an international commission of inquiry to probe
alleged war crimes and violations of international law. The draft
does not mention Hamas.

Despite Israel lobbying the Council's member states to prevent
the meeting taking place, the Palestinians managed to get the signatures necessary to hold the meeting.

The US, most of the EU states and additional Western states,
including Australia and Canada, are expected to oppose the draft.
However, as in other UN bodies, the Palestinians hold an
automatic majority which allows them to pass any resolution.

Israel, which accuses the Council of bias, boycotted the Geneva
forum for 20 months, resuming cooperation in October. Its main
ally the United States, a member state, has also said Israel is
unfairly singled out.